New Jersey has a long history of higher education. The Garden State was the only one of the thirteen original American colonies to have two colleges before the Declaration of Independence was signed. The College of New Jersey, now called Princeton University, was established in 1746 while Queens College, now called Rutgers University, was founded 20 years later.

Today New Jersey is home to 31 four-year colleges and universities as well as to 19 county colleges offering two-year degrees. New Jersey’s range of higher education options is very diverse and includes public and private schools, all women’s options, Catholic institutions and outstanding professional schools.

New Jersey Colleges and Universities

Princeton University, an Ivy League school, is one of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in the country. It’s equally strong in science and liberal arts, and is particularly outstanding in the field of economics. Among the many illustrious faculty members and staff associated with Princeton University are Nobel Prize laureates Albert Einstein, Osamu Shimomura, Toni Morrison, Daniel Kahneman and Paul Krugman.

Rutgers University is a state university and the largest of New Jersey’s institutions of higher learning with three geographically separate campuses. The university consists of 29 schools and colleges with a 175 separate academic departments. Rutgers University has one of the highest percentages of female faculty in the nation.

Other well-known New Jersey colleges and universities include:

• New Jersey Institute of Technology: One of the nation’s outstanding science and engineering institutions
• The College of New Jersey: One of the top liberal arts colleges in the country
• Georgian Court: A private Catholic women’s university
• Seton Hall: A private coed Catholic university
• Drew University: A small university with a liberal arts emphasis
• Richard Stockton College of New Jersey: One of the most highly ranked schools in the Northeast for master’s degrees

Governor Christie’s Public Education Proposal

New Jersey’s Governor Chris Christie recently introduced a proposal to overhaul New Jersey’s state public university system to make it more competitive. The centerpiece of the plan would be the merger of Rutgers University’s Camden Campus with Rowan University. According to a poll conducted by Rutgers University\’s Eagleton Institute of Politics, 57 percent of New Jersey residents are against the governor’s plan.